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Applying the mud
One of the final jobs was the mud, I’ve struggled with this in the past but now I think I’ve gone some way to getting a realistic finish.
First up is the base for the pigments; a mix of Tamiya Dark Earth and brown is misted on in areas that would collect muck, the lower hull and underneath the turret. On to this the pigments are applied, they were sprinkled on then fixed with white spirit and when dry they were blended with a clean brush dampened with white spirit and my finger. The areas behind the wheels came in for a heavier coat. When I was happy with the effect they were fixed with Mig Productions pigment fixer to weld them in place.
With the pigments done attention turned to the mud splatters. This is expertly described in MIG Jimenez’s DVDs but for those who haven’t seen them here goes. Mix some of the AK Interactive product of your choice (I used Dry Mud, Dark Mud and Wet Mud in three separate layers) with Plaster of Paris (I use Polyfilla – a domestic decorating filler in the UK) into a thin mixture. This will give the mud volume. Take some of the gunge on an old brush and hold it close to the model, then blow it onto the model with an airbrush. I advise getting rid of the first few blasts as too much will end up on the model. It takes practise but in a short time you’ll get a nice splattered effect. If too much ends up on the model then take the ubiquitous clean brush dampened with white spirit and clean up the excess.
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Now for the final weathering step, the spilled fuel oil and grease. AK Interactive have their own bespoke product which is very nice however to enhance the effect in places I mixed it with black oil paint. This technique is simple but effective, just dab spots of the mixture in the areas you want, be careful not to over do it and I recommend you study photos of real vehicles or even pop over to the local garage and have a look at the state of their floors, you’ll soon see what I mean.
